My Friend April
by LonelyAquarian
Summary: Jackson, a young high school boy, shares a close friendship with his childhood friend April. Their relationship changes when Jackson realizes he feels something more to his friend.
1. Swim Practice

"Alright, people, this is our last lap for the day. Take your positions." Webber tells his swimming team. "Here we go." He says lifting his whistle. "On your mark, get set-" Webber blows his whistle and everyone who was on their perspective boards dove into the water.

While the others are waiting to jump into the pool, Jackson is watching April swim in their lane. Jackson's so mesmerized by her swimming that he failed to realize that April's been calling his name.

"-you're not even listening to me at all, aren't you?" She says hitting his shins.

"What?" He says distractedly.

"I said that two of us have to do our laps again because you missed the cue to swim." April tells him.

"Oh. Well, I don't mind."

"Cool. Well, I'm gonna swim a little bit longer." She smiles at him.

"Awesome."

"Great. See you in a bit." She says, flicking some water at him.

"I'm screwed." He says to himself as she swam to the other side of the pool.


	2. Mother, Son Time

Jackson was sitting at the dinner table, listening to music and drawing a picture of April. He was so dedicated to getting the details of her face down that he doesn't hear the door open.

"Hey, kiddo." His mom greets. "So, I brought home a couple boxes of pizza, some coconut water and a couple of movies." Catherine tells him. "Before I forget, I'll be going to a conference this weekend, so you're going to be here all alone, sweetheart." She says as she takes a salad out of the refrigerator. "Jackson, I-" She looks over at Jackson, who's currently smiling at his own work. She smiles as well. "Are you listening to me?" She asks. She walks over to him, taking out one of his ear buds.

"Oh. Hi, mom." He greets.

"Isn't this your friend April, sweetie?" She asks him, but he doesn't answer the question. Instead he clears the table of his art supplies. "She's still so damn cute."

"What do you think?" He asks her.

"Kind. Talented. Very cute." Katherine says genuinely.

"I think I'm in love mom."

"Hmm, in love." She says with a smile on her face. "Does she know?"

"No." He says shaking his head. "I don't think she knows at all."

"Perhaps you should tell her how you feel, Jackson." She suggests. "Besides, out of all those heifers you've brought home before, She's the only decent one you've introduced me to."

"Mom, we've known each other since the second grade."

"So what's your point?" She asks nonchalantly.

"Well, were supposed to go to the beach tomorrow. Then we'll see."

"Excellent. You better tell me how it goes, and for heavens sake Jackson, do not hurt that girl or else I'll hurt you." She warns.

"I won't. So what are we having for dinner?" He asks her.


	3. At The Beach

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" April asks him.

"I'm uh-nothing." Jackson tells her.

"Man, you always have your head in the clouds." April tells him.

"I guess." He shrugs.

"Here's another thing that you can guess: I'm a better swimmer than you." She boasts, playfully pushing him away.

"Am not!" He says, visibly offended.

"Yes, you are the crappy swimmer between the two of us."

"You're such a liar." He smirks.

"Oh yeah? Then prove it." She challenges.

"Will not." He says. "I don't have to prove anything to you at all, Miss April Kepner, queen of _'_ _Fair and honest price for good quality pork'_ , all right?"

"Whimp." She says as she playfully pushes him.

"Oh, you're on." He challenges, pushing her playfully. Their pushing continues for a good couple minutes until April wrestles him down to the floor.

"Careful what you wish for." She warns with a smile. "Sometimes your wish might come true." She smirks looking down at him.

"Really?"

"Yup."

Jackson is lost as he looks up into April's eyes. He is so mesmerized by her smile that he leans up and kisses her. She abruptly pulls back from his kiss, immediately.

"What are you doing?!" April asks in horror. She hurriedly gets off of him and she runs away from him.

"April, wait I -April!" He yells after her, but she's too far to hear him.

"Shit!" He exclaims punching the sand in anger.


	4. Park Discussions

"So what happened between the two of you?" Catherine asks a depressed Jackson as they are sitting down on the park bench.

"Ugh, can we not talk about this shit anymore?"

"Jackson, watch your language." She reprimands.

"Sorry. It's just…. I don't know what I was thinking back there when I kissed her. It was stupid." He tells her miserably.

"It'll get better in time."

"Right." He says sarcastically.

"Put yourself in her shoes. What if she had feelings for you, and she kissed you, wouldn't you have done the same?"

Jackson thinks about the situation. _'Hmm, if the roles were reversed, April would be the one to have feelings for me and I wouldn't. Now, if she kissed me, I'd probably run like hell from her to because that would be totally unexpected. Dammit, why did I think this through?'_

"Jackson?" Catherine asks.

"I don't blame her for running off like that. I would've done the exact same thing." He tells her. "Ugh, this is so frustrating."

"You better stop whipping me with that damn towel, Callie!" Alex shouts.

"Oh, Alex, be a man about it!" April tells him as she kneels down to tie her shoes.

"Yeah, listen to Kepner, Alex." Callie says as she whips Alex's legs.

"Nice wrist action, Callie." Catherine compliments.

"Thanks, Mrs. Av-" Catherine glares at her for a moment. "Catherine." She corrects herself. Catherine smiles at Callie's correction. "How are you doing today?"

"I couldn't be better, dear."

"Hey, Jackson." Alex greets.

"Hey." Jackson replies. "How was training?"

"It was really fun today!" Alex said.

"It sure was. We just left the swim practice a few minutes ago and I've got to say that even though we practiced, April was freaking amazing!" Callie says as April catches up to them.

"Really? That's fantastic sweetheart!" Catherine says happily, but April is looking any and everywhere but at Jackson.

"It was spectacular! If she keeps it up, there's no way that we are going to win that tournament tomorrow, right April?" Alex remarks.

April simply lifts her head, and looks at Jackson for a moment. Jackson looks back at her and April walks away from them. Jackson stands up from the bench and he also walks away from them. Catherine sighs internally.

"As long as you guys do your best, you're all winners. I'm proud of you guys."

"Thanks, Catherine." Alex and Callie say in unison.

"I better go find Jackson. That son of mine is a hot mess right now." Catherine says as she stands up.

"Oh, okay. See you later Catherine!" Alex says.

"Before I forget, my dad will be glad to paint you house over the weekend since he has free time."

"Excellent! I'll call him later to set up a time."

"Awesome! I'll relay the message. Have a great say, Catherine." Callie says as she gets her towel ready to whip Alex again.

"Bye, dear. Jackson, wait!" Catherine says as she walks away from Callie.

"Alex, get your ass back here! I'm not finished whipping you for that prank you pulled on me earlier!"


	5. Underwater

"This is great. This is just great. The damn knob for the shower is still broken. I might as well take a good bubble bath." He tells himself. After filling the tub with water, he sits in the tub thinking about April.

Unknowingly, he submerges himself underwater.

 _"_ _Why am I underwater?" Jackson asks, but nobody answers him. "Hello?" Suddenly, he looks straight ahead. He sees someone swimming towards him. April is swimming towards him. He smiles._

 _"_ _Hi, April!" He greets, but she doesn't answer him at all. She swims up to him, pats his cheek and she then swims away._

 _"_ _April! April!" He tries to scream, but bubbles come out of his mouth. "I-"_

Jackson comes up for air.

"Shit, what just happened?"


	6. Wallowing

The weekend has finally arrived and Jackson is all alone in house. He sits and mopes on the chair, the couch, and even on his bed. He thinks about April day and night, but the dream he had last night takes the cake.

 _"_ _SATISFY ME, BABE! MAKE ME YOUR HARLOT!" April whines loudly as she's now impatient._

 _"_ _Not until you say those six words to me, babe!" He taunts her._

 _"I wanna be your love slave!" April yells out._

 _"_ _Good girl." He says as he enters within her._

 _"_ _Oh yeah, Jax, right there, babe." April moans as Jackson_ _starts pounding into her at a hard but slow._

 _"_ _Shut up." He reprimands gently as he kisses April._

 _"_ _I love you so much." She groans into Jackson_ _'_ _s neck._

 _"_ _I love you more." Jackson_ _says as he buries his head in April's neck._

 _"_ _Bend over some more." He whispers in April's ear, and she complies to Jackson_ _'_ _s wish._

 _"_ _Oh, yeah, babe! Harder!" April cries. He complies._

 _"_ _God, you're so amazing." Jackson_ _groans._

 _"_ _You're the amazing one." April pants as he gets deeper and deeper within her._

 _At this rate, he picks up speed and she is losing her mind._

 _"_ _Jackson_ _…"_ _She moans._

 _"_ _I'm gonna- I'm gonna…."_

 _"_ _Be a good husband and let go." She moans and he spills into her. Their moans fill up their entire house._

 _"_ _You are sensational. I love you." April says._

 _"_ _I love you, babe." Jackson_ _moans in his post-coital state._

"Damn, that dream. If that was the future, then it's a good, future. But damn that dream." He says. "I need to do something.

He tries cooking, but he burns the pasta.

Tries reading. Nope, that doesn't work.

Washing his clothes? He failed to notice the red/blue sock in his whites.

Drawing- it fails.

All his thoughts go back to April.

Oddly enough, music seems to be working.

That is until he gets a text.

 _Jack-Jack, we need to talk. Meet me at the pier in twenty?_ _April._

He smiles.


	7. In The End

On the way he way to the beach, he is extremely nervous about their upcoming conversation.

 _'_ _God, what if I spill my guts to her about the life that I imagined for the both of us? I mean, it's extremely bad….good...? I don't know. I pictured a life where we can build a life together, get a nice little house in the country with a dog, a cat, a station wagon. You know what the worst part of my imagination was? I was speaking as if it was 1945, and these are supposed to be the best years of my life, not the last years of my life._

 _'_ _I'm so damn cheesy, that it pisses me off. I just…I really love her and I'm losing my mind, fast. You're probably wondering why I'm telling you all this, but it's all very simple. Spending time with April just comes…..naturally. I don't have to be something I'm not, or try to impress people, or a farmer like her family, but I am proud of who I am. Jackson Avery, surgeon royalty…or something. The bright side, I haven't bumped into anybody or anything at all. I must be the luckiest bastard in the world at the moment thinking about April._

 _'_ _One thing that I can tell you about April though…..she's always up for an adventure. That's my favorite thing about her. I want us to see the world, go to many places where we can meet lots of friends and enjoy the culture of many races. Grow old and sit on the swings in the backyard, or on our porch watching the world go by. Be crotchety old people with bad attitudes. Cuss out our grandkids when they become selfish little ingrates. Smoke weed once in a while and- what am I doing? I'm imagining a life that isn't even in her stars at all. Lucky me._

 _'_ _Well, I've arrived at the pier, and she's sitting on the rocks. Why am I so scared to go talk to her when I've just spilled my guts out to my own damn self? At least she's looking out at the ocean, so she can't see me looking crazy. But I can see her, and she's so damn beautiful. Ugh, I hope I'm not sweating bullets. Here I go.'_

Jackson walks towards April, keeping his breathing under control.

 _'_ _You can do this, Avery. Do it for all the guys who have been too afraid to tell the girl how they feel about them.'_

As he reaches April, she doesn't acknowledge him at all. He decides to sit down next to her and simply looks out towards the ocean as well. After a minute, he misses the fact that April glanced at him quickly, due to the fact that he was trying to figure out what to say. Instead, he takes a quick glance at April, but he isn't so subtle about his glance at all. Thirty seconds later, he feels a pair of hands grabbing his face. She kisses him on the lips and quickly turns away from him.

 _'_ _Whoa. What does-?'_ He wonders as he takes a glance at her, but he stops thinking once she pulls his right arm and slings it over her shoulders.

"I love you too, Jackson." She tells him with a smile on her face.

He smiles and cuddles her like the luckiest man in the world.


End file.
